A message from Professor Chris Ennew OBE, Provost of the University of Warwick:

“On Friday (16 September) Professor Tom Marsh, the founding professor of the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at University of Warwick, was reported as missing from La Silla Observatory in Chile, where he has recently been working as a visiting astronomer at the ESO (European Southern Observatory).

“The local emergency services are undertaking a thorough and extensive search for Tom and we continue to hope for a successful outcome.

“We are in regular contact with Tom’s family and have offered them our full support, along with his colleagues, students and friends in the Warwick community. Our thoughts remain with them at this worrying time."